Howl

Now as summer comes to a close, it's time to start gearing up for Hallowe'en. Yes, horror is on the menu again, at least if it isn't too extreme for my sensitive sentiments. The Howling (1981) fits, since it is really more of a comedy-horror, and we are trying to watch the complete Joe Dante.

It starts with newswoman Dee Wallace acting as bait for a serial killer, meeting him in a porn video booth, and almost getting killed. This leaves her shook up, and Dr. Patrick McNee recommends a rest at his "Colony", up on the Mendocino coast. The folks out there are uninhibited, with parties around the bonfire on the beach, and the locals are a little creepy. Her husband Christopher Strong goes hunting with a local guide, even though he tries to avoid red meat, and meets the local witch woman.

I'm not going to spoiler this, although I don't think there are any big surprises. Our favorite scene is when Wallace and husband try to find answers at Dick Miller's occult bookstore. It's always great to see our friend Walter Paisley.

This isn't a jokey movie, but it pokes fun at the culture of news entertainment and the pop-psychology of losing inhibition. It's funnier than it is scary, but it is pretty scary.